The subject matter of the present disclosure broadly relates to the art of spring devices and, more particularly, to gas spring end members configured for use in forming gas spring assemblies as well as suspension systems including such gas spring assemblies and methods of assembly. In some cases, such gas spring end members, gas spring assemblies and suspension systems can be dimensioned or otherwise constructed for use in rail applications.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is capable of broad application and use in connection with a variety of applications and/or environments. In some cases, the subject matter may find particular application and use in conjunction with rail vehicles, and will be described herein with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be recognized and appreciated that the subject matter of the present disclosure is amenable to use in connection with other applications and environments, such as gas spring assemblies dimensioned for use in motorized vehicle applications, for example, without departing from the subject matter of the present disclosure, and that application and use described herein should not be interpreted as limiting.
A suspension system, such as may be used in connection with motorized rail vehicles and/or rolling-stock rail vehicles, for example, can include one or more spring elements for accommodating forces and loads associated with the operation and use of the corresponding device (e.g., a rail vehicle) to which the suspension system is operatively connected. In such applications, it is often considered desirable to utilize spring elements that operate at a lower spring rate, as a reduced spring rate can favorably influence certain performance characteristics, such as vehicle ride quality and comfort, for example. That is, it is well understood in the art that the use of a spring element having a higher spring rate (i.e. a stiffer spring) will transmit a greater magnitude of inputs to the sprung mass and that, in some applications, this could undesirably affect the sprung mass, such as, for example, by resulting in a rougher, less-comfortable ride of a vehicle. Whereas, the use of spring elements having lower spring rates (i.e., a softer or more-compliant spring) will transmit a lesser amount of the inputs to the sprung mass. However, lower spring rates generally correspond to increased displacement under load, which can be disadvantageous in certain applications and/or uses.
Additionally, end members of conventional rail spring assemblies are often constructed to withstand forces and loads acting on the rail spring assembly that are transmitted to, from and/or between the opposing structural members of an associated rail vehicle. As such, conventional rail spring end members are often constructed of metal materials and are designed to withstand conditions (e.g., exposure to outdoor weather conditions) associated with use in operation during over-the-rail travel and/or under similar environments, such as impacts from foreign objects and/or the collection of dirt and debris. In some cases, however, it may be desirable to reduce the overall weight of a suspension system, and reducing the weight of the end members of the one or more rail spring assemblies could be one contributing factor to achieving such a goal.
Notwithstanding the widespread usage and overall success of the wide variety of end member designs that are known in the art, it is believed that a need exists to meet these competing goals while still retaining comparable or improved performance, ease of manufacture, ease of assembly, ease of installation and/or reduced cost of manufacture, without adversely affecting the strength, rigidity, robustness and/or overall integrity of the end members and gas spring assemblies.